


Dock Rats and Runaways (Subject to change)

by tiny_maus_boots



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Michsen Brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-13 07:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18936013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiny_maus_boots/pseuds/tiny_maus_boots
Summary: Beca's a street urchin that makes her living picking pockets on the docks and happens to pick the wrong pocket one day. Were it not for a helping hand from a stranger she might have found herself in the hands of the law.





	Dock Rats and Runaways (Subject to change)

**Author's Note:**

> Potential pirate au. I'm just trying some things out. May not be a thing. 
> 
> The girls are around 15 or 16 at the start of the story.

Beca dipped quietly out of the shadows as people gathered at the docks waiting for the ship to come in. It wasn’t always the same crowd but there were the usual regulars that had business with the merchant ships that came into port. She used her slight frame to slip between taller, bulkier bodies, searching for a likely mark while avoiding those that might recognize her. The gold pocket watch in his hand immediately attracted her gaze and she watched as he casually checked the time before slipping it back into the pocket of his vest. Beca licked her lips trying to calculate how much she’d get for it and how many meals that would cover. Maybe enough for a decent room out from the damp and cold. At least for a night or two.

With a nod to herself she slipped from bystander to bystander, blending in and weaving around the lot of them. No one usually noticed her anyway. Slowly she made her way through the throng until she was just abreast of him. Someone in the crowd must have been jostled or kicked because there was a pained shout from further back. It was distraction enough when all eyes turned in the direction of the commotion she struck. Her hand darted in like a snake, fingers nimble and quick to get the clasp through the button hole without him noticing. But he did and his hand was like vise upon her wrist.

The man jerked her close against his body and pinned her with his free arm, preventing her from getting away. His cold eyes were nothing more than pale blue tinted chips of eyes, his grip on her wrist bruising. “Wots all this then? A dock rat looking to steal a bit o’ cheese is it?”

“Didn’t mean nothing by it. It’s still yours. Let me go!” She did struggle against him but it was like fighting against steel bands that held her still and nearly choked the breath from her lungs as he squeezed her tighter still. Panic rose in her and she flailed out with a few kicks that were neatly evaded by the man.

“Oh no? If I hadnae caught ye, where would we be then hm? But I have caught ya and I’ll have you before the magistrate. Now hold still!”

He made the mistake of bringing a meaty hand up to cover her mouth but Beca wasn’t about to allow him to silence her. Her teeth flashed and she bit down on his hand with all the strength in her jaws. At first it was soft but her bite stopped when she reached the bone of his finger. He roared his rage and pain at her and brought his free hand up to cuff her ear so hard she heard bells. It was dizzying and her stomach roiled for a moment but Beca shook it off and lashed out with a kick, finally getting him to release her. He dropped to a knee, hand cradling his jewels and she bolted away as quickly as she could.

Shouts rose up behind her making her legs pump harder to get down the street and down an alleyway. She skidded to a stop and glanced down finally, opening her fist with a slow, smug smile. She pushed the button on the top and watched the cover pop open, the hands stark against the white face of it. “Oi! You there!”

Beca closed the watch quickly and shoved it in her shirt. She turned to face the entrance to the alley where the man and some others were looming. She looked down the other way seeing only the back of another building. She sprinted to the door set into the back wall and pushed at it frantically but it was locked and held fast. The men behind her chuckled with dark intent and the leader, the man she’d bitten spat on the ground and raised his bloodied hand up.

“You owe me dock rat, and I’ll be taking me due out of your hide.”

Beca backed against the wall and looked desperately for escape but the only path out was through them. A soft whistle drew her gaze to the space well above her head where two buildings met. There was just enough room for someone small like her to slip through if she could manage to get up there. One pale hand poked out of the shadow, beckoning and she didn’t question it. Beca ran to the corner and leapt at the lip between buildings. The men lunged and she was sure they would reach her first when that smooth pale hand closed on hers with a sure grip and surprising strength.

Her feet scrabbled at the wall as she climbed for all she was worth. A hand caught her barefoot but she kicked out at it until she felt a satisfying crunch of flesh and bone. Beca pulled her foot free and slipped into the crevice before another could reach her. It was tight, barely room to breathe but there wasn’t much time for hanging around just breathing. She could hear the men already organizing below her and the figure still hidden by shadow though she could tell that she was a girl.

“Toddy, keep watch here. James you and Henry head up that way. The rest of you with me.”

There was no way back and only a few moments to go forward before the men caught up to them. There was no talking between them, only the quiet rustle of cloth against the face of the wall as they shuffled along and broke out into the light on the other side of the street. It was then that she noticed her savior companion had blonde hair and a quietly commanding voice. “Follow me. I know a safe place.”

She automatically obeyed even though in the back of her mind she knew she should question it, knew she could go her own away and likely get to safey. And she would have too had she not seen the sun glare off the bald pate of one of their pursuers. She reached out and tugged the other girl’s arm, dragging them into the shade of a building where they couldn’t be seen easily. Her chin jerked at the man scanning the street just a bit away.

The blonde gave a short nod and pulled Beca after her as she slipped between a narrow break in people then ducked into a bakery. The baker gave a shout of protest when they ran past the counter to the back and out the door. She could admit that the other girl seemed to know every nook and blind corner to hide in as they picked their way carefully to a tavern with a less than appealing crowd of men hanging about the front.

Her companion led them to the side and climbed over a short fence. Beca hesitated and looked back the way they’d come. The men would find her in no time but she still didn’t know if she should continue to follow the blonde girl. What if it was a trick to relieve her of her catch?

“Do you see them Ells?”

“No but they cannae’a gone far. Spread out.”

A pale face popped up above the line of the fence, one brow raising questioningly. It was enough. Beca ran toward the fence and leapt. Strong hands caught hers and pulled as she climbed over. Their weight overbalanced them and Beca realized there was no way to stop the fall off the wooden barrel they were precariously perched on. It rocked violently under them then tipped, tossing them to the ground in a heap. The blonde had landed on her heavily, knocking the air from her lungs in a whooping cough.

“Shhh! You’ll get us caught!”

Beca glared up at the girl as she rolled to her knees and tried to suck in air as quietly as possible. Running footsteps pounded just on the other side of the fence and they both scrambled away from it to the back door of the tavern. It opened suddenly behind them and they both whirled quickly to face the new threat.  
Bright curious eyes framed by a tangle of red curls blinked at them in surprise. “Wha….”

“SHHHHH!”

It came from both of them and the redhead tipped her head as she evaluated how much of a threat they were to her. Behind her the front door of the pub opened and Beca had just enough sense to get out of the line of sight of the doorway. Her back pressed against the wall, both she and the blonde leaned back on either side of the frame. Seeming to understand the redhead shut the door behind her and continued over to a cellar door.

“Well, come on then. Can’t have you two lurking about.” She bent and pulled the door up with a gesture toward it. They both paused then shrugged in unison as they each decided it was still better than being caught by their pursuers.

Beca followed the girls down into the dark, dank cellar and breathed a sigh of relief at only finding supplies and tools when soft lamp light revealed more of the room. Her gaze traveled over to the redhead and dipped away finding it far too uncomfortable to meet that inquisitive gaze.

“Now. Who are you and why are you hiding in my garden?”


End file.
